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Does the thought of public speaking make you cringe? While almost everyone experiences some stage fright speaking in front of an audience, there are ways to tame this debilitating fear. Half the battle of giving a speech is selecting a topic that engages your audience. For any speech, whether informative or persuasive, your speech idea should meet these criteria:
Additionally, you should possess a measure of expertise on your topic. Understanding the nuances of what you are speaking about is a sure way to ease those jitters. This is how you come up with the best speech idea. When choosing a persuasive speech topic, all of the above criteria apply, along with a few additional requirements. What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?While an informative speech merely presents factual information, a good informative speech topic goes a step further.
This does not mean that the audience will agree with every opinion you present, but a good persuasive speech makes the audience think. A great persuasive speech makes an audience act. As transcendentalist writer Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” Therefore, a strong persuasive speaker will:
Not all persuasive speeches need to be deeply controversial, but there should be some gray area in your chosen topic. Political, social and ethical issues make compelling persuasive speech topics for this reason. The persuasive speech should address a burning question that incites intellectual debate:
Such questions may seem divisive, but, in a civilized society, they are essential to ask. Posing such questions directly to your audience during your speech engages a group in the Socratic Method of critical thinking. Furthermore, if a topic isn’t inherently controversial, then it might not make the most powerful speech. Your job as a persuasive speaker is to argue your point, which is not necessary to do on topics that most people agree on. In that vein, here are a handful of topics that would not make for good persuasive speeches.
…And you get the picture. So, what does make a good persuasive speech topic? Well, there are at least 191 answers to that question. Plan your college application journey for free.Check out our complimentary timeline tool, OrganizeU. Before we reveal the 191 best persuasive speech topics, let’s preview each of the categories:
Take a deep breath and read on! Politics and Law
Environmental Activism
Social Justice
Ethics
Health
Potpourri
And there you have it – 100+ unique topics to stoke your imagination and help you identify your passion. Feel free to go beyond these springboard ideas or customize them to your perspective. Advice from Persuasive Speech ExpertsTo help you out even more, we asked the experts on the best tips for giving a persuasive speech. Let’s go! From Melora Kordos, visiting assistant professor of theatre arts at Sweet Briar College:
From Dr. Allison Beltramini, associate professor of communications at Waubonsee Community College:
From Nate Masterson, HR manager of Maple Holistics:
From Jeffrey Davis, executive speech coach at Speak Clear Communications:
From Bridgett McGowen, CEO of BMcTALKS:
From Martha Krejci, business coaching leader:
From Neil Thompson, founder of Teach the Geek:
From Adam Cole, expert writer and author:
Conclusion: Best Persuasive Speech TopicsRemember, your passion and expertise on the topic will translate to audience engagement – and hopefully a good grade!
In the words of Cicero: “A good orator is pointed and impassioned.” To follow the advice of the great Roman orator, find your passion and then express it through your persuasive speech. The skills you develop now in this area will benefit you throughout your professional and personal life. What are the 3 types of persuasive speech?There are three different types of persuasive speeches that are used to convince an audience: factual persuasive speech, value persuasive speech and policy persuasive speech. What is policy persuasive speech?A policy speech will essentially be a persuasive speech on some area of public policy. The subject can be an existing public policy, along with the speaker's statements either supporting or opposing the policy. It may also be a proposed policy that the speaker believes is ineffective. What are the types of claims in persuasive speech?There are four common claims that can be made: definitional, factual, policy, and value. What is a proposition of policy speech?A Proposition of Policy Speech makes a persuasive argument about a course of action regarding a controversial topic of social or public concern. What are the 3 types of persuasion in public speaking?Ethos, pathos and logos are modes of persuasion used to convince and appeal to an audience. You need these qualities for your audience to accept your messages.
What are the three basic issues that you as a speaker comes across while analyzing question of policy speech?Persuasive speeches on questions of policy must address three basic issues – need, plan, and practicality.
What is a proposition in a persuasive speech?The proposition of your speech is the overall direction of the content and how that relates to the speech goal. A persuasive speech will fall primarily into one of three categories: propositions of fact, value, or policy.
What are questions of value?Question of Value. - A question about the worth, rightness, morality, and so. forth of an idea or action.
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